Eight Years

"Will you marry me?"

"No," I scoffed.

"Why not? Don't you love me?" Jackson replied.

"I am only fourteen, I can't marry you! DUH." I muffled my giggles with one hand while I stared down at him. Gently poised on one knee, his hands crossed over his heart. I couldn't help but be flattered.

"Please marry me," he begged. "Please!" It was pitiful. There he was, this 6 foot teenage boy down on one knee, pleading for my hand in marriage. So pitiful So cute.

"Jackson, stop it. You are totally humiliating yourself," I said. "Your humiliating me too, now get up!" He reluctantly rose to his feet, and we continued to walk towards English class. "Why won't you marry me Rosie? Are you going to leave me miserable forever?" Now I knew he was just being dramatic. I played along. "I can not marry you darling. For I am to be wed to another. Another more handsome and more brilliant than thee."

"What?" cried Jackson. "I shall not hear of such a thing. Take me to this man and I will slay him like the beast that he is." I was laughing uncontorllably by this point. Jackson flung himself this way and that, searching for this make believe enemy.

"Tis Cory that I shall be wed to," I shouted through my laughther. As Cory unsuspectdly walked toward us, Jackson lunged forward and held Cory tight in a head lock.

"Thou shall die before you stealith my love from me," roared Jackson. Poor Cory. He looked up at me with an expression of pure confusion. "Sorry," I mouthed to him. I had to lean against Mr. Wikner's classroom door to support myself, for I was laughing so hard my legs were going limp. I could feel my face turning purple from lack of oxygen and I heaved a deep and weezy breath.

"Jackson, the bell is gonna ring. Unhand that fair knight and assist me to my desk." Jackson released Cory and jokingly punched him the chest. As the bell rang, Jackson and I took our seats in Mr. Wilkner's class. Jackson sat straight across from me on the other side of the classroom. I acted as if I were really getting to work, but out of the corner of my eye, I could see him. Staring at me, trying to catch my attention. I lifted my head and glared at him. "What," I mouthed. Again he placed his hands over his heart and mouthed the words "Marry me". I blushed. I concealed my flattery behind a deep stare and one single word. "NO," I mouthed back. Jackson, again being dramatic, smashed his head down on his desk and began to weep. I caught my burst of laughter half way in my throat and swallowed it before it had time to escape. Mr. Wilkner began to talk.

"This assignment is due in 2 weeks and it better have............." Mr. Wilkner's drawling became nothing but a buzzing in my ear as I stared across the room at Jackson. He was one of my best friends. I had known him since kindergarten. We were never as close as we were now, but all the time that I had known him, I always felt special when I was with him. How could I not? He was very charming. He knew how to make me laugh and he always flattered me with the sweetest comments. But I knew he was a player. I desperately wanted to trust him and admit to him that I would marry him in a heartbeat, but he was interested in other girls. Not girls like me. Not the smart ones, or the funny ones. Just the pretty ones who would hang on his every word. I was not like that, and Jackson knew it. My deep thoughts were abrubptly interupted by the bell. The whole class rose from their seats and shuffled out into the busy hall. I crammed myself through the door and speed walked down the hall to my locker. 'Wait!" I heard from behind me. Jackson sprinted up to meet me. "Walk with me you jerk," he said.

"What did you call me?"

"Kidding," he replied. "So will you marry me?"

"Nope! Haven't we been over this?"

"How about in eight years? You will be...what, 22! Then will you marry me?"

"Sure. In eight years. No sooner." With that, we went down different halls and I smiled all the way to my locker.